SPRINGFIELD
Springfield
In 1906, Hazrath Soofie Saheb
RA brought a piece of land in what was then known as Buttery Place (corner of
Alpine and Quarry Roads) and built a Musjid, a Madressa and quarters for Imam
and Muezzin. The land around the Musjid property was mostly occupied by Indian
gardeners and farmers (amongst them Muslims), as the Umgeni River nearby
provided ample water and the soil was rich. A cemetery was also established but
was closed in 1930’s owing to town Planning.
The building of this
institution provided the Muslims with an Islamic Centre where they could not
only perform their daily Salaat and meet other brothers on a daily basis but
their children could also receive Islamic education.
Hazrath Soofie Saheb RA
personally supervised the affairs of the institution with the assistance of the
local community. His sons and Khulafas also assisted. All the needs of the
community were addressed - poor families were provided with food parcels,
medical needs were attended to, free burial for those who could not afford the
expense, and Muslim marriages were performed.
The following served as
Trustees:-
1. 1906-1911 The Founder, Hazrath Soofie Saheb RA
2. 1911-1954 Hazrath Shah Mohamed Ebrahim Soofie RA
3. 1911-1935 Hazrath Shah Abdul Aziz Soofie RA (second son of the Founder) handled the legal aspects of the Trust and was assisted by some of the residents of Springfield to run the day to day affairs.
4. 1935-1969 Hazrath Shah Mohamed Habib Soofie RA (fifth son of the Founder)
5. 1969-1992 Hazrath Shah Noor Mohamed Soofie RA (eldest son of Hazrath Shah Mohamed Habib Soofie RA)
6. 1992 to date - Hazrath Shah Mohamed Javed Soofie and Hazrath Shah Khalid Hassan Soofie (sons of Hazrath Shah Noor Mohamed Soofie RA).
Hazrath
Shah Mohamed Habib Soofie RA
He was born in 1898 in
Ibrahim Pattan in district Ratnagir, India. His mother, Hazrath Zainab RA, was
in India on a trip when she gave birth to Hazrath Shah Mohamed Habib Soofie RA.
He arrived in South Africa in
early 1900 and grew up in the Darbar, Riverside. He received his Islamic
education at the Habibia Soofie Saheb Madressa.
His early childhood years
were spent fruitfully at the Darbar. He observed the administrative qualities of
his honoured father and other elders of the family. He saw how the various needs
of the people were being met. In this way he was given the basic traning to do
dawah work.
At the age of 26 years he
married Zulekha Bi RA and four children were born - Noor Mohamed, Kathija Bi,
Nizam Bi and Goolam Rasool.
He went to Chakas Kraal in
1925 to teach at the local Madressa. He also taught in Ladysmith and in Verulam.
In 1935 he came to the Soofie Darbar at Springfield to serve the needs of the
community here. He repaired and renovated the existing Musjid and Madressa. The
ablution facility was also improved. Springfield was now growing steadily as a
residential area as more and more people moved into the area. He served as Imam
and teacher at the Madressa, for a considerably long period. He performed
marriages, attended to the problems of the Musallees and personally invited the
people for important religious events that took place at the Darbar. He
travelled to India on a few occasions. On one such occasion, he visited various
Soofie Khanqahs and met a few notable Sufis of their time in India. He visited
Hyderabad and made ziarath at the Mazaar of Hazrath Habib Ali Shah RA, the Pir O
Murshid of his father. He was conferred Khilafat by Hazrath Mukhdoom Hafiz Ali
Shah RA, the second son of Hazrath Habib Ali Shah RA.
He also made a courtesy call
on Shah Goolam Ali in Kandal, a village in South India. Shah Goolam Ali was once
a young Hindu lad in Durban when Hazrath Soofie Saheb RA introduce him to the
Darbar in Riverside and with the permission of his parents brought him into the
fold of Islam. He proved a brilliant student at the Habibia Soofie Saheb
Madressa at Riveside where he learnt his basic and advanced Islamic education.
He became the Mureed of Hazrath Soofie Saheb RA and after a few years of study
he was sent to his native village of Kandal, India to serve Islam there.
He also served as the first
Muzawwar at Hazrath Badsha Peer Mazaar.
After a long search Hazrath
Shah Mohamed Habib Soofie RA eventually located the whereabouts of Shah Goolam
Ali who was lecturing to his students on Islamic Fiqh at the time. He found a
place and quietly sat down. Shah Goolam Ali immediately recognised him to be the
son of his Pir O Murshid. He respectfully met Hazrath Shah Mohamed Habib Soofie
RA and introduced him to the students. A year before his demise, as his health
was gradually deteriorating, Hazrath Shah Mohamed Habib Soofie RA appointed his
eldest son, Hazrath Shah Noor Mohamed Soofie RA, to succeed him and continue
serving the community of Springfield and to upkeep the Darbar. Hazrath Shah
Mohamed Habib Soofie RA passed away on 11 Moharrum 1388 (1969) and was buried in
Riverside.
HAZRATH
SHAH NOOR MOHAMED SOOFIE RA
Hazrath Shah Noor Mohamed
Soofie RA followed in the footsteps of his father. He was conferred Khilafath in
the Chistia Order by Hazrath Zamin Shah RA from Delhi, India. In 1978 he
extended the Musjid and Madressa extensively with the help of the community
which brought the building to its present size. In 1986 a Jamatkhana for ladies
was built adjacent to the Musjid.
His children are Mohamed
Junaid, Mohamed Javed, Khalid Hassen, Mohamed Jalil and Shenaaz Bi. In 1989 he
retired due to illness. He passed away in 1992 (1 Safar 1413) and was buried in
Riverside.
HAZRATH
SHAH MOHAMED JAVED SOOFIE and
HAZRATH SHAH KHALID HASSAN SOOFIE
Shah Mohamed Javed Soofie and
Shah Khalid Hassan Soofie were entrusted with the responsibilities of the
Springfield Darbar as Trustees. In 1990 the Musjid at Springfield was completely
refurbished. Two minarets were added on two sides of the Musjid. The wudukhana
was re-done and airconditioners were installed. A nursery school was built in
1995. Shah Mohamed Javed Soofie was bestowed with Khilafat by Hazrath Shah
Goolam Qutbuddin Soofie RA.
All Praises to Allah, this
institution is still carrying on with the work that was initiated by the
founder, Hazrath Soofie Saheb RA.